Charmane Star was born in the Philippines but moved to California with her family at age two. She grew up in San Francisco, San Diego and Sacramento, where she went to Natomas High School. She has seven brothers and one sister. Charmane became a nude model soon after turning 18 and made her adult film debut in 1998 but left four years later to manage a night club in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her ex-boyfriend. She recalls that managing the night club was "20 times harder" than adult films. When not working long hours at the night club, she managed to do single girl photo-shoots. Charmane has also worked as a Nordstrom sales girl.

Charmane returned to film in 2003 and promptly opened up a website. Charmane mainly performs boy/girl and girl/girl scenes but rarely does boy/girl/boy scenes indicating that they were "too much". She has become one of the top Asian performers in adult film. Like many performers she dances in strip clubs and made her debut in December 2004 at Club Paradise in Honolulu, Hawaii with Teanna Kai. Her sister was also in adult film briefly under the name Leah Santiago.

As a hobby, she collects sculptures and paintings, and aims to own an art gallery someday. As of 2005, she is learning to be a disc jockey. Her contacts with professional DJs and her background owning a night club have contributed to this hobby. As a first generation Filipino-American, she understands Tagalog, although she can barely speak it.

Charmane also poses for more niche fetish pictorials and videos, including those focusing on fishnet stockings, high heels and smoking.